


Changes

by kierenmonroe



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-02-27 15:26:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2697884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kierenmonroe/pseuds/kierenmonroe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by a prompt sent to me on Tumblr.</p><p>The Slytherin common rooms can get cold, but when it gets to the point where they have to join the Hufflepuff's in theirs, Simon Monroe is less than pleased.  However, things soon change when he meets his doe-eyed bunkmate, Kieren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving

**Author's Note:**

> Harry Potter was my childhood, and In The Flesh is one of my favorite things in the world beside it. So why not mix them? I was sent this prompt on Tumblr (I'll add a link to the blog when I have more stable wifi)

“Bloody dungeons, always so _bloody_ cold--”

“Language, Mr. Monroe!”

Simon rolls his eyes, wrapping his arms tighter around himself.  “Yes, sir.” he responds, packing as much sarcasm as he can into the title, earning himself a glare and a light punch on the arm from his friend Rick, who was a prefect.

“Mate, you don’t want another detention, do you?”  He tries for stern, but he’s fighting a smile.

“Yeah, yeah.  Just, why do we have to move common rooms?  There must be some spell out there that they can use to warm us up.  And either way, the Hufflepuff one is still below ground.  ”

Rick shrugs, yawning.  “I've heard it was the most comfortable common room in the whole castle.  And I think they want to promote ‘positive’ relationships between the houses.”  Simon snorts, but Rick carries on.  “Hey, you never know.  The Hufflepuff kids all seem nice enough to me.”

Simon doesn’t respond.  After the Battle of Hogwarts a few years back, things had changed drastically.  There was less tension between houses, something Headmaster McGonagall seemed especially keen on.  She could often be seen in her Animagus form, prowling the halls for any sign of a fight.  Her human presence was already intimidating enough, but having her suddenly _appear_ beside you with that stern look on her face was enough to have you ducking behind tapestries and suits of armor whenever you heard her step.

“You’re just happy cause your Vicky is in Hufflepuff.” Victoire Weasley was Rick’s long term girlfriend (and frankly, the two of them were pretty disgustingly in love).  Rick stayed silent this time, but the blush colouring his cheeks was answer enough.

Simon trudges slowly along with all the rest of Slytherin house through the dark castle, the surrounded by the soft grunts and snores of the sleeping portraits around them.  He tugs his robe tighter around him and is about to ask how much longer they have when the Head Boy ahead of him stops in front of what seems to be a large stack of barrels.  He reaches forward and taps against one of the barrels, the lid of which opens.  He peers in, looks around for a moment, then slides in.  There's a wooshing sound and he disappears, sucked into the darkness.  All the students take a hesitant step back, until Simon sighs and steps forwards, looking into the darkness before taking a deep breath and climbing in.

He yelps as he feels himself start to slide and soon enough he's out into what he assuemes (and hopes) is the common room.  At first, his eyes are assaulted by the light and sheer amount of yellow surrounding him, and then he becomes aware of how warm and comfortable the air of the room is.  The ceiling is low, and the room is circular, with massive chairs spread around.  He stands, brushing himself off, and is greeted by the Head Boy who had gone down ahead of him.

One by one, the rest of the students of Slytherin house slide in, all with varying degrees of excitement from the entrance.  Rick moves to stand beside Simon, both of them staring around the cozy room in awe.  Once the Head Boy verifies that everyone is accounted for, he turns, gesturing to a girl sitting cross legged in one of the chairs.  She bounds out of it, practically skipping over to where the stunned Slytherings are standing.

“Evening, all!” She chirps, clapping her hands together.  “I’m Amy Dyer, head girl of Hufflepuff house.  Very excited to have you all here!”  She beams around at the sleepy students.  Her face almost falls when she doesn't get a reply, and Rick steps forward, smiling shyly.

“Evening, Amy.  Listen, we’re all pleased to be here as well, but we’re all completely knackered.”  As if to back up the fact, a first year beside him yawns widely and sways on his feet.

“Say no more!  Just a few quick rules and then we can be off.  Girls, you’re to the right.  Boys to the left.  Now, in terms of sleeping arrangements, you’ll all be bunking with a student from this house.  You’ve been assigned a bed, just to simplify things, and all your things are already up in the dormitories.  We’ll talk more tomorrow morning before heading down to breakfast.  Sound good?”

She receives a few nods and then she’s leading the girls off, leaving the boys to awkwardly pick a leader.  Simon rolls his eyes and steps forward again, leading the way down the hall and into the unfamiliar dormitory.  They climb through the circular door and look around the room.  There are great patchwork quilts on all the beds, each bed now twice the height with another matress set above it.  There are copper lights that let off warmth, so the stone beneath their feet is pleasently warm, even through their socks.  They easily locate their belongings, and Rick grins when he sees that he and Simon have landed beds right beside each other.  Simon sits down heavily on the bed, shocked when he discovers a boy already there.

“Uhm, excuse me…you’re sitting on my leg.” the boy says, blinking up at him.  Simon stands, holding his hands up.

“My mistake.  Didn’t realize you were already there.”

The boy smiles, sitting up.  “S’okay.  I’m Kieren.”  He holds out a hand and Simon takes it, feeling awkward.

“Simon,” he says, grinning tightly before glancing warily at the top bunk.  He would never admit it, but he had a crippling fear of heights, one that kept him from doing even the most rational of things, like sleeping on the top bunk. 

“Want me on top?” Kieren asks, raising an eyebrow and hell, does he do that on purpose?  Simon stares, flustered, before a snort from Rick brings him back to the present. 

“Yeah, you don’t mind?  Fallen off one too many high bunks in my time.”

Kieren just nods silently, grabbing his pillow and tossing it onto the upper bunk before climbing up the ladder, dropping a pillow onto Simon’s head.  “Night, Simon.”

The lights go out as Simon is situating himself into bed, acutely aware of the boy above him.


	2. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Simon and Kieren talk a bit about scars in this one, so TW for self-harm.

The next morning, Simon and Rick follow Kieren and Rick’s bunkmate, Philip, into the common room.  As they walk, Rick pulls Simon so they’re a few steps behind, a wicked grin on his face.

“So, how you liking these sleeping arrangements, then?” he asks, eyeing Kieren’s back meaningfully. 

“They’re fine.  Everyone seems nice.”  Rick raises an eyebrow, but drops it when Simon stares stubbornly ahead, not answering his unspoken question.  With a laugh, Rick raises his hands in mock surrender and starts talking about breakfast. 

The four of them are amongst the first there and they seat themselves around a table in the corner.  Kieren sits across from Simon, smiling widely.

“Should we do introductions, then?” Philip asks, glancing around the table.

“Might as well.  You first, Phil.”  Kieren leans forward, head resting on one of his hands.

“Right.  Erm, I’m Philip.  I’m a sixth year—I’m assuming we all are?”  The other boys nod and Philip continues.  “My mum works at St. Mungo’s.  My dad’s never really been in the picture, but we do well enough on our own.”  He smiles tightly.  “I want to work for the ministry one day.”

“As an Auror?” Rick asks, leaning forward.

Philip shakes his head.  “I’m not really cut out for that type of stuff.”

“Ah, shame.  It’s what I plan to do.  I’m Rick.  My dad’s an Auror, names Bill Macy.”  He smiles proudly around the table, pleased when at least Philip looks a little impressed.  “What about you, Kieren?”

Kieren twists his fingers together, suddenly shy.  “I’m the only magical one in my family, both my parents and my little sister, Jem, are muggles.”  He falls silent, glaring around the table as if faring anyone to say something.

“Both my parents are Muggles, too.”  Simon says, tapping his fingers nervously against his leg.  “My dad…well, he’s a piece of shit, just ask Rick.  Mum was attacked by Death Eaters, back when You-Know-Who was still around.  Really messed my dad and I up, but I got better.  He never did.”

The table falls silent and Philip is obviously trying to remember something.  With a gasp he puts a hand to his chest, looking a bit shocked.  “Monroe?  My mum treated yours, bloody hell.  That was horrible, what they did--”

“Yeah, it was.”  Simon cuts him off, not wanting to hear it all again.  Kieren is looking at him with and odd expression on his face, and Rick just lays a comforting hand on Simon’s shoulder. 

Silence settles again, quickly becoming awkward as each boy searches for something new to say, but then Amy appears, cheerful as ever.  “You four getting on well?” she asks, leaning on the back of Simon’s chair.

“We’re good, Amy, ta.  How are you?” Kieren asks, smiling up at her.

“Feeling great, handsome.”  She smiles around at the table again before winking at Philip and moving on to another table. 

“Phil here is mad for our girl Amy.” Kieren says, ducking away as Philip, face now a brilliant crimson, swats at his arm.  Simon laughs, causing Philip to turn an even brighter shade of red, one which Simon considers quite a feat.

“Hey, no shame in that, mate.”  He pats Philip’s arm, earning himself a grimace that he hopes is a failed attempt at a smile.

“You got your eye on anyone?” Philip asks, desperately trying to get the attention away from himself.  “I’m sure there’s some lucky girl somewhere.  They always fall for the Irish ones,” he adds, sounding a bit put out.

Simon shrugs, unable to help himself from glancing over at Kieren.  “No girl, no.”

Silence, then Kieren’s eyes widen a fraction.  Simon winks, enjoying the sight of Kieren’s skin flushing a deep red, in a way that Simon could only describe as adorable, though he would never do so out loud.  He continues staring as Kieren looks down, his eyelashes nearly brushing the tops of his cheeks.  Philip watches the exchange, opening and closing his mouth as if trying to form a coherent thought, but he’s cut off again by Amy.

\---

Later, the four of them are sat at one of the long tables in the Great Hall.  They were once split in between the four houses, but that was something that was now saved only for the Sorting Ceremony at the start of term.  Simon is beside Kieren, the two of them pushed so close together that their legs are pressed together from hip to ankle, their elbows jostling each other occasionally.  Normally, Simon would cringe away from being this close to someone he hardly knows, but there’s something…comforting about Kieren’s presence.

“So, Simon, what do you want to do when you’re older?” Kieren asks, voice low.  Rick and Philip are deep in conversation about the Ministry, and neither Kieren nor Simon care to listen. 

“Dunno,” Simon replies, scooping eggs onto his plate.  “When I was younger, before I got my letter, I wanted to be a poet.”

Kieren nods, his mouth full.  After a beat of silence, he swallows and asks, “What’s your favourite poem?”

Simon takes a bite of his food, chewing slowly to give himself time to think.  His mothers voice, soft and faded from years of not being heard, floats to the surface of his mind and he start’s reciting the verses in a low voice, familiar as his own name.

_“I balanced all, brought all to mind_

_The years ahead seemed waste of breath,_

_A waste of breath the years behind,_

_In balance with this life,_

_This death.”_

He hears Kieren’s breath huff out and looks up, meeting Kieren’s wide eyes.  “That’s gorgeous,” Kieren mutters, voice husky.

Simon feels heat creeping up his neck and he looks down at his food, shrugging and taking a hasty bite of his meal.  “’S nothing.  What did you want to do?”

“I wanted to be an artist.  Still do, really.”  Kieren’s voice is confident and Simon looks up, cocking his head to the side.  Kieren seems the type to be an artist, all long fingers with his flop of messy flaxen hair and wide, innocent eyes.  As Simon stares, he notices more about Kieren’s face.  He has high cheekbones, dusted ever so lightly by freckles.  His beauty is soft, but it’s there, shining through.

“Do you have art here?” he asks, realizing he’s been staring and both Rick and Philip are snorting, muttering things to each other behind their hands.  Kieren nods, looking down at his hands.  He tugs at the sleeves of his robe, looking nervous. 

“I have a few of my things back in the common room.  I want to charm them to move, eventually, but none of my professors have really gone into that.  I wish they would, but what can I do.”  He shrugs, still toying with the ends of his sleeves. 

Simon notices that this is a habit of Kieren’s, this constant fiddling.  He notices mostly because he used to do the same thing, until his father told him he was doing it.  He leans in, lips inches from Kieren’s cheek.

“Hey, can we talk for a moment?  Somewhere quieter, if that’s okay.”

Kieren nods, standing and leading the way out of the hall.  Simon takes his arm and leads him to a stone bench by an archway.  He sits down, patting the space beside him, signaling for Kieren to follow suit.  He does, one eyebrow raised, as Simon tugs at the sleeves of his own jumper.  He pulls it back a few inches, revealing old pink lines, crisscrossed all over his arms.  Kieren sucks in a breath, fingers brushing against them.

“Simon…”  He pulls his hand away, pushing back the sleeve of his robe to reveal similar scars, but these are angry and red, fresh.  Simon glances up at him and is shocked to see tears brimming in Kieren’s eyes.

“Hey, no, c’mere.”  Before he can stop himself, he tugs Kieren in for a hug.  “We all have our scars, okay?  I’m here for you, I’m going to help you.”  Kieren nods, pressing his face into Simon’s shoulder as he returns the embrace, thing arms wrapping around Simon tightly.

“Thank you,” he whispers, his lips brushing the skin at Simon’s throat, sending chills down his spine. 

Simon doesn’t respond, just let’s Kieren breathe, his hand going up to gently push through Kieren’s hair.  They stay like that, wrapped up in each other, and Simon feels warmer than he has in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you're all sick to death of reading that poem but I actually love it, and it's gorgeous when Emmett says it (which may have something to do with his voice but shhh)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this!


	3. Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kieren invites Simon to stay with him for the holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this chapter is kinda slow, I am sorry for that (and for the fact that I haven't updated in a while) but I'm almost finished with the next one, so hang tight. Hope y'all are having a good holiday <3

The days pass quickly once term gets started again, the four boys becoming close friends.  Kieren and Simon are practically inseparable, much to the teasing of Rick (though he has taken to calling Philip “Lippy”, which earns him a few laughs from Simon and Kieren).  As the holidays draw closer, Simon feels himself getting more and more upset.  He has never really enjoyed being home, and now with his mother gone, his father is sure to be worse than ever.

One day, Kieren seems to notice Simon’s mood.  “Hey, what’s been bothering you?  I haven’t seen you this upset over anything before.”

Simon shrugs, not looking at Kieren. He toys with the quill in his hands, biting his lower lip against the sudden urge to cry.  Kieren sits there for a moment longer before taking the quill from Simon’s hands and forcing him to look up. 

“Tell me,” he says, then his voice softens.  “Please?”

Simon blinks, looking into Kieren’s wide eyes, before nodding and letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.  “I don’t want to go back for the holidays, but I also don’t want to be trapped here on my own.  My dad…” he trails off, eyes going back to his hands.  “It’s gonna be pretty bad this time around.”

Kieren is silent for a moment, considering something.  “Stay with me.”

Simon’s head flies up and his mouth opens in shock.  “Sorry?”

“Stay with my family and I.  We aren’t all bad,” he adds, smiling slightly.  When Simon doesn’t answer he flushes a dark red, leaning away.  “Never mind, I didn’t meant to make you uncomfortable--”

“No, that’s not it.  It’s just…nobody has ever done anything so nice for me before.  Of course I’d love to stay with you, thank you.”  Simon smiles, his hand twitching where it lies on the table, just inches from Kieren.  He aches to move it the short distance closer, to cover Kieren’s hand with his own, but he holds himself back.

Kieren smiles, relaxing.  “Don’t think I’m saving you.  I may have lied a bit when I said they weren’t all bad.  My dad is going to make us wear ridiculous hats, and mum is gonna cook enough for the whole castle, probably.  My sister is nice, though.”  He laughs at Simon’s horrified expression, and his hand slides closer so their fingertips are brushing.  Simon laughs as well, trying to get his pulse to stop racing just from the simple contact.  He sobers, then reaches his hand and actually covers Kieren’s.  He feels as if there’s fire under his palms where his skin is in contact with the other boy, and his air leaves him in a rush.  Kieren does the same, his eyes flicking up from their joined hands to Simon’s face, his eyes widening a fraction.

Simon smiles, unsure of himself, but he feels his pulse race yet again when Kieren smiles back.  They stay there, hands just barely touching, until Rick and Philip enter the room.  They jerk their hands back but stay sitting close, knees almost touching.

“What are you two up to?” Rick asks, throwing himself into one of the chairs.

“Kieren’s just invited me to stay with him for the holidays,” Simon says, grinning like a fool.  Rick sees the smile and rolls his eyes as he returns it.

“Should we expect a happy announcement soon?” Philip says, reaching for Rick’s hand, and the two proceed to make hideous kissing faces at each other.  Kieren laughs aloud and reaches across the table to smack at Philip’s arm.  Simon leans back in his chair, feeling his face heat up as he crosses his arms, and he knows he’s sulking, but the teasing is getting pretty ridiculous.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.  But while _you_ two are stuck with your families, I’ll have Kieren around, so it won’t be too horrible.”  He winks at Kieren, who flushes in response but smiles back, playfully shoving Simon’s shoulder.

“ _’Won’t be too horrible’_?” He tries to mock Simon’s lilting accent, hands going up to his chest in mock hurt.  “Oh Simon, I think you’ve gone and hurt my feelings.  You’ll have to make it up to me.”  There’s something glinting in his eyes and Simon grins, leaning forward.

“And what exactly would that be, Mr. Walker?” he says, lowering his voice.

“I’ll let you know during holiday,” Kieren answers, fluttering his lashes and putting a hand jokingly over Simon’s, but under his words there’s a current of truth, and it sets Simon’s heart racing all over again.  His pulse races loudly in his ears, and it’s _almost_ enough for him to not hear the gagging noises the other two boys are making.

He smiles wickedly and turns to the other two, chucking a book at Rick’s head.  He dodges it easily, laughing and reaching around for something to volley back at Simon when Amy enters the room and Philip smacks it out of his hand.  Unfortunately, Rick had chosen the thing closest to him, which turned out to be a pot of ink that Simon had been using for his work.  It sails across the room, ink flying in a spectacular arc, before landing at Amy’s feet, splashing up onto her robes.  She yelps and jumps back a step, then whirls to face the boys.

Rick and Simon are roaring with laughter as Philip seems to be trying to sink into his chair and down through the floor, while Kieren stands and rolls his eyes, cleaning the spilled ink with a wave of his wand.  Amy raises an eyebrow at the scene, coming to stand beside Philip.

“Well done, Philip.”  He sputters something that seems to be an apology and Amy puts her hands to her hips, playing angry.  “You’ve gotten ink all over my new robes.  I expect a fresh set for Christmas.”  With that she turns in a whirl of robes and skirts and she’s off, through one of the many tunnels leading away from the common room. 

Philip lets out a weak moan, hiding his face in his robe, which just sets the other three off again.

\---

Simon stands in front of his trunk, shoving in a few more books.  Kieren watches from his bunk, leaning over the edge.  “You’re not gonna have enough room.”

“I’ll make it work,” Simon grunts, slamming the trunk shut and sitting on the top.  Still the latches are just centimeters away from being able to close, and he sighs heavily as he stands.  “This is annoying.”

Kieren rolls his eyes and jumps down, standing above the trunk.  “Let me take a crack at it.”  He takes the books off the top and moves them aside, placing them gently on the bed.  He seems to have noticed the care with which Simon usually treats them and does the same.  He pulls almost everything out then begins rolling the clothes and tucking them down tightly, before stacking the books in even layers across the top.  After dropping in the quills and socks Simon has added, he smiles and closes the lid easily.

“How did you do that?” Simon asks, mildly impressed.

“Mum sent me off with enough socks to last me all seven years.  In hindsight, it was a good idea, since I’ve gone and lost most of them.”

Simon nods, taking the trunk from his bed and leading the way out of the dormitory.  Kieren follows suit, slinging his bag over his shoulder.  “Hurry up, Simon.  We have to be to the carriages in a few minutes.”

They hurry out of the castle, waving goodbye to a few students who are staying for the holidays.  They reach the carriages just in time, hopping into the last one as it starts off.  They smile at the two students with them, and they stay silent until they reach the station.

Once they’re on the train they push their way down the corridor, finding a nearly empty compartment and settling themselves into the seats there.  Two boys and a young red haired girl are sitting together, talking happily.  One of the boys takes the girl’s book and she reaches for it, letting out a loud “Come on, Albus!”  The boy smirks and flips through the pages, making faces and loud kissing noises.

“Oh, Rosie, you fancy Scorpius?”  She flushes a brilliant red, snatching the book from the boy’s hands and smacks him across the head with it.  She flounces over and sits beside Simon, curling up in the corner.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” the boy—Albus--says, rolling his eyes and leaning back in the seat.  “I’m Albus, this is my older brother James, and that’s Rose.”  The other dark haired boy raises a hand and smiles, while Rose just lets out a little grunt of a greeting.

“I’m Kieren, this is Simon.”  Simon nods, feeling awkward, as Rose turns and looks up into his face.

“You have nice eyes,” she says, leaning closer.  “So does he.”  She points to Kieren who widens his eyes, tilting his head to the side.  She laughs a bit and leans back, seeming more at ease.

“What house are you two in?” James asks, looking them over. 

“I’m Slytherin,” Simon says, at the same time as Kieren says “Hufflepuff.”

“Right, they pushed the Slytherins into your dormitories.  How’s that working out?”

Kieren and Simon look at each other for a moment, and Kieren sighs dramatically.  “Horrible, to be honest.  This one snores something terrible.” 

“Do not!” Simon retorts, turning and shooting Kieren a glare.  “At least I don’t talk in my sleep.  _Shout_ , more like.” 

Kieren rolls his eyes again but doesn’t respond.  “What about you three?”

“We’re all Gryffindor,” says Rose, moving back to where the boys are sitting.  “Just like our parents.  They’re pretty famous around here, they’re--”

“Rose, hush.” scolds Albus, leaning around to tug at a lock of her hair.  “No need to go telling everyone our life story.  They’re probably sick to death of it anyway.  I mean yeah, it was nice at first, but if _one_ more person asks me if Dad still has that scar…”  He shakes his head and Kieren looks at Simon in shock for a moment, before turning back and trying to hide his expression.

“Dad thinks people weren’t going to ask about him, but they do, all the time.  Headmistress McGonagall teared up a bit and muttered something or other about ‘more red-heads running round the halls at night’, so I think she remembers him.  Or at least she remembers Uncle George.”

“I heard that Professor Hagrid cried when he met Cousin Freddie.” James says, looking sad for a moment.  The other two children fall quiet, and the compartment is filled with a comfortable silence.  Later, another girl comes to collect Rose and they run off down the corridor screaming and giggling.  When the woman with the trolley comes knocking, they all purchase sweets and share them amongst themselves, chatting happily.

Before they know it the train has reached the station and they all grab their things, slipping into jackets and scarves as they trudge down the packed train car.  Kieren and Simon wave goodbye to the boys, who shout their goodbyes and run off, and Simon sees them being greeted by a man with dark, messy hair and a smiling woman with long red hair to rival Rose’s. 

“Was that…?” Kieren asks, doing his best not to stare.

“I think so,” Simon says, shaking his head.  “That was interesting.”

Kieren laughs and tugs at Simon’s elbow, leading him towards an older couple.  They look a lot like Kieren, with wide eyes and thing hands, and a young girl is skipping around beside them, leaning down to stare at the owls and cats of passing students.  She lets out a yelp when she sees Kieren, running over and flinging herself into his arms.

“Hey, Jem.”  He’s smiling widely, his face tucked into the girls shoulder.  “This is Simon.  He’s gonna be staying with us over the holidays.”

Jem turns and raises an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side, and she looks almost identical to Kieren in that moment.  Then she smiles and leans over, pressing a kiss to his cheek.  “Welcome home, Simon.”

He stands there, heart racing, and he feels the embarrassing prick of tears behind his eyes.  As the older couple who Simon assumes can only be Kieren’s parents walk over, he blinks hard, trying to breathe deeply.  After the greetings are all done ( _‘None of this Mr. and Mrs. Walker nonsense!  I’m Sue, this is Steve.  I’ll be horribly offended if you call me Mrs. Walker.  Makes me seem ancient.’_ ) the five of them trudge back to the car, putting their trunks in the back.  Jem slides in first, forcing Kieren into the middle seat, and Simon ends up pressed against the door, the chill of the window against his shoulder.

Kieren leans over, hand gentle on Simon’s knee.  “You okay?”

Simon nods, smiling shyly at him.  Jem watches with a knowing look in her eyes and winks at Simon before leaning back and closing her eyes.  She shifts around a bit before letting out an annoyed sound and tugging Kieren to her, leaning her head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around his waist.  He rolls his eyes, grinning at Simon.  Simon sticks out his tongue then looks out the window, watching as unfamiliar scenery flashes past.

“So Simon, where you from?”

Sue’s voice shocks him from his thoughts and he turns to see her facing around in her seat, smiling at him.

“Um, Dublin.  It’s gorgeous this time of year.”

She nods and looks like she wants to ask why he didn’t go.  Thankfully she doesn’t, just smiles and turns back, but not before shooting Kieren a look that Simon doesn’t understand.  He turns to Kieren, but the other boy just shakes his head and mouths, _“Later.”_

Simon shrugs and goes back to staring out the window as snow starts to fall.  His breath fogs up the glass and he feels his knee pressed against Kieren’s, and the radio is playing soft carols and before he knows it, he’s drifting off.


	4. Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm literally the worst at coming up with chapter titles don't hate me.

Simon wakes to someone gently shaking his shoulder.  He opens his eyes slowly and turns his head, immediately getting a mouthful of hair.  As he splutters and blinks, he realizes he’s still in the back seat of the car, leaning against Kieren.  Kieren is leaning against him, their legs tangled, and Jem is hanging on to Kieren’s waist, mouth open as she snores softly.

Sue is leaning over him, smiling politely and trying to ignore the fact that her son is twisted up with this boy she’s only just met.  Simon tries to untangle himself but to his horror and Sue’s amusement, Kieren grumbles something like _‘Sit still, dick.’_ and hugs Simon closer.

Sue is barely holding back laughter at the look on Simon’s face and she reaches across him to shake Kieren awake.  He jolts up, knocking Jem in the face with his elbow, and she cries out, leaning away from him only to bang her head against the window.  As she yelps in pain and Kieren tries to apologize, Simon slips from the car.  He glances at Sue and the two of them start laughing, leaning against each other while Steve watches the whole scene unfold with the boys trunks by his side. 

“Glad you’re enjoying yourself.”  Kieren steps out of the car and hits Simon on the shoulder.  “You okay, Jem?”

She flips him off, earning a scoff from her mother, and the two boys take their trunks from Steve.  Kieren leads the way in, and Simon gets a quick glance into the living room.  There’s a Christmas tree in the corner, a large TV beside it.  There’s a fireplace and a large sofa across from it, along with a stuffy and worn looking chair.  Beyond that is a table, already set with plates and silverware.  Simon’s stomach growls and he hears Kieren laugh ahead of him.

They drag their trunks down the hall and Kieren opens a door, leading him into what Simon assumes is his bedroom. It’s so completely _Kieren_ that Simon can’t help but smile.  There are shelves full of books, papers, and art supplies.  There are paintings all over the room, mostly of Kieren’s family and other faces that are unfamiliar, which must be of old friends. 

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Kieren says, gesturing widely and bowing.  Simon laughs and puts his trunk in the corner.

“It’s very cozy.”  Simon smiles over at Kieren, suddenly feeling awkward.  The room isn’t exactly massive, and though Simon has shared a small space with Kieren for a while now, he can’t help but feel like he’s intruding.  This is Kieren’s home, his private place.  That, and the fact that there isn’t an extra mattress.  Luckily, his stomach growls loudly again and Kieren gestures for him to follow.

“I guess Mum knew we would be hungry.”  Simon nods, following silently down the hall.  As they start down the stairs, Simon can smell something cooking and he nearly groans.  He hadn’t realized how hungry he was.  They had only eaten the sweets on the train, and that had actually been hours ago.

They sit down at the table, Simon and Kieren beside each other while Sue, Steve, and Jem take seats at different points of the table.  There isn’t much room between the two of them and they keep knocking elbows and knees, but neither boy minds. 

Sue watches with a strange look in her eye, smiling as she starts dishing out the food.  They all tuck in, Sue and Steve talking about something to do with church while Jem teases Kieren, flinging bits of food at him.  Eventually, Kieren’s parents start asking questions and Simon tries to keep the details of his life at home as vague as he can.

“Just me and my dad, unfortunately.  We lost my mother when I was younger, back when You-Know-Who was still causing trouble.  I was planning to stay at the castle for the holidays, but Kieren suggested this and I couldn’t turn down the offer to meet his family.”  He smiles sheepishly and both Sue and Steve grin widely, while Jem rolls her eyes.

“Well, we’re more than happy to have you, Simon.  I’m glad Kier has finally brought one of his friends home, I thought he was all alone up there.”

“C’mon, Mum, you knew I had Phil and Amy.  They just seemed happy to go their own way for the holidays.  Plus, I just love to torture our Simon here.  Can’t have him enjoying himself.”

Simon laughs and shakes his head, playing along.  “Like I said, I’m here for the family.  Hopefully we can all escape Kieren together.”

Steve laughs and reaches over to pat Simon on the shoulder.  “Ah, Simon.  I think we’re all gonna get on very well.  Now, what film are we going to watch tonight?”

His only response is a pair of loud groans from Kieren and Jem.

\--

Later, after Jem has fallen asleep on the sofa and put a stop to the film, Kieren and Simon are sitting on the floor of Kieren’s room, sorting through the things in their trunks.  Kieren’s mother did in fact pack him enough socks to last him at least two lifetimes, and he tosses them unceremoniously into his closet.  Simon is setting all his books onto one of the shelves that Kieren cleared off for him, making sure they’re all facing the right way and that they don’t fall off the edge.

They’re quiet but there’s an almost tangible tension in the room.  Simon keeps glancing over at the bed—the only available space to sleep.  He doesn’t mind sleeping on the floor or the sofa, and if he’s being completely honest with himself, he doesn’t mind sharing with Kieren.  But Kieren hasn’t said anything about it, and there’s something about sleeping in the same bed as him while any member of his family could walk in that makes him hesitant. 

He finishes lining up his books and turns to find Kieren staring at him.  He smiles and tucks his hands into his pockets.  They stand there awkwardly for a moment before Kieren takes a step forward.  “So you enjoying yourself?” he asks, and Simon nods.

“I really do like your family, no matter how hard you try to convince me that they’re insane.”

He takes a step closer, almost like his legs are taking control.

“Yeah well, the hats and jumpers haven’t come out yet.  Just you wait.”

Another step.

“I’m sure it isn’t all that bad.  I’ve always wanted an ugly Christmas jumper.”

“Jem is gonna take out the mistletoe.”

“That wouldn’t be entirely bad.”

They’re inches away from each other now, and if one of them takes another step it would be so easy to just—

Kieren closes the distance and exhales, his breath ghosting across Simon’s face and sending chills down his spine.  “Maybe I’ll get the mistletoe out early.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Simon whispers and then he leans in, lips pressing firmly against Kieren’s.

For a moment it’s just a press of the lips, and there’s time for one of them to back out, but then Kieren’s hand comes up and his fingers slide into Simon’s hair and that’s all it takes.

Simon remembers the feeling of riding Rick’s broom around the Quidditch pitch one night.  He felt his stomach lurch, his feet barely skimming the ground as Rick cheered him on.  The adrenaline in his blood, his heart racing loudly in his ears. 

That’s nothing compared to the feeling of kissing Kieren.

He feels like he’s been Stupefied, been set alight and there are sparks in his veins and his lungs are half the size they usually are as he gasps into Kieren’s mouth.  He puts a hand on the other boy’s hip and pulls him closer, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.  Kieren is shaking against him and his mouth is urgent and sloppy, unpracticed.  Simon pulls away, though it hurts him to do it, and he leaves his forehead pressed to Kieren’s.

“So,” he said, breathing heavily.  Kieren is doing the same, his eyes still closed.

“Yeah.”  Kieren opens his eyes slowly, and he blushes a deep red.  Simon laughs and kisses his forehead, wrapping his arms around Kieren’s waist.

“You’re cute when you blush.”

“And you two are disgusting.”

They both jump away from each other and turn to see a smirking Jem standing in the doorway, arms crossed.  Kieren seems to be choking on his tongue while Simon can feel his heart beating somewhere around his shins but Jem just laughs and walks away.  “Just close the door next time, idiots.”

\--

They end up sharing the bed, and the smirk on Kieren’s face makes it seem like he planned it.  Of course Simon doesn’t mind, but it still makes him laugh.

They lie on their backs, bodies pressed from shoulder to ankle, until Kieren turns to face Simon.  Simon turns and they stare at each other in the darkness.  They don’t move for a moment and just when Simon thinks the other boy is asleep, a hand reaches out and takes his own.  He twists their ankles together and Simon smiles, yanking Kieren close and turning him so his back is pressed to Simon’s chest.

“Pushy,” Kieren mutters, but he presses back against Simon and relaxes, his breaths evening out and Simon can’t remember ever sleeping through a night as well as he did this one.


	5. Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I feel so bad for making you guys wait so long for this. Things were pretty crazy with the holidays and being home, and now school has started up again. I hope you guys are having a good new year (:

The next morning, Simon wakes up first.  His face is pressed into Kieren’s hair, and the other boy is fast asleep.  Sometime while they had been asleep, Kieren had turned against so his face is against Simon’s shoulder, an arm thrown over his waist.  Simon smiles and pulls Kieren closer.  He never would have imagined that he could wake up this happy, and even less that it would be this boy who he would wake up next to.

Kieren stirs, making these muffled sleep noises that are so cute and innocent that they nearly send Simon into a fit.  He kisses Kieren’s sleep ruffled hair.  “Morning.”

“Hmmph.”

Simon feels like his chest is going to explode, he’s so happy.  “C’mon, Kier.  You’re crushing me a bit.”

Kieren just shakes his head, wrapping himself tighter around Simon.  Jem opens the door a crack and peeks in, ignoring Simon’s silent plea for help.  She just winks and quietly closes the door, leaving Simon trapped.  Not that he minds, really, but it’s getting a bit warm and he would really like to move his arms.

“Don’t make me call your parents in.”

Kieren finally looks up, trying to glare but mostly squinting at the light filtering in through the window.  “You wouldn’t.”

Simon raises an eyebrow.  “Wouldn’t I?”  When Kieren doesn’t move he grins and opens his mouth, sucking in a deep breath like he’s about to shout, and Kieren holds up his hands in surrender.

Though he still looks skeptical, Kieren untangles himself and moves to roll aside, and realizes too late that the bed isn’t wide enough to accommodate it.  He lets out a pitiful cry as he rolls off the bed, desperately trying to grab onto something and failing, knocking his elbow on the small table and his head against the floor.  He lays there for a moment and Simon peers over the edge, trying desperately not to laugh.  He sobers as Steve bursts in, taking in the scene before him.  Kieren sprawled on the floor, with Simon’s face a bright red from a mixture of withheld laughter and embarrassment at being found tangled in Kieren’s bed sheets. 

“You okay there, Kieren?” he asks, looking at Simon with a bit of anger.  As if Simon had pushed Kieren out of his own bed, really.

“I’m fine, dad.  Just a bit out of it.”

This is apparently the wrong thing to say.  Steve seems to finally take in the entirety of the scene, mainly the fact that there is only one place to sleep, and Simon is currently in it, Kieren having obviously just tumbled out.

“Ah.” Is all he says and then he’s ducking out, ears red, and the boys can hear him clear his throat in the hall before walking slowly down the stairs.  Simon glances over at Kieren, who just shakes his head. 

“He thinks—”

“Shut up.”

“Should we say something?” Simon asks, staring at the closed door.

“Definitely not.”

Kieren drags himself to his feet, stretching and groaning loudly as his back pops. 

“You’re really not helping our case, you know.”  Simon tugs at Kieren’s arm and brings him down to meet him in a lazy kiss, both of them still a bit clumsy with fuzzy, tired minds, though the feel of Kieren’s lips against his own sends shivers and sparks across Simon’s skin.

“I could get used to this,” Kieren whispers, then pulls away, rubbing a thumb along Simon’s jaw.  “I’m gonna shower.  You go ahead and get yourself sorted, then we can go down for breakfast.”

While Kieren ambles off, Simon grabs some clothes from the closet and makes sure the door is properly closed before changing into jeans and a large jumper.  Rick had always made fun of him for the jumpers he wore, but they were warm, and his mother had started buying them for him so long ago that he couldn’t remember the first time it happened.  Old habits die hard.

He starts looking around Kieren’s room, peering at the artwork on the walls.  He sees a face repeated a few times, in varying shades of red and orange, a young boy with bright eyes and dark hair.  And above the bed, a smaller painting, this one depicting someone trapped in what looks like a bird cage.  After a moment Simon notices that it must be Kieren.  The figure is slight with a mop of light hair, slender fingers of one hand gripping a paintbrush while the other is gripping the bars of the cage.   Kieren must channel any pent up anger or sadness into his art, and that makes Simon want to take another look around, but at that moment Kieren comes in.  His hair is tousled from where he toweled it off, and he’s wearing a long sleeved shirt and sweatpants.  Simon was used to seeing people in Muggle clothes, and had seen Kieren in them just yesterday, but it was still such a change from the Hogwarts uniform, and he liked it.

“Hungry?” Kieren asks, tossing the towel into a pile of laundry in the corner.

Simon nods and grabs his stomach, bending over dramatically and groaning.  Kieren just laughs and rolls his eyes, turning and heading back out the door.  Simon follows, a few paces behind, eyes on Kieren’s back.  It’s so much like the first time they met, when the four friends were walking to the common room that first morning.  Thinking of how far the boys had come—especially himself and Kieren—makes him oddly nostalgic and he finds himself almost to tears with how happy he’s been the past few weeks.

He voices this to Kieren, who just smiles and takes his hand, pressing a soft kiss to his fingers.  They stand in the shadows of the hallway for a moment before they hear Jem thumping around in her room and they step apart, Simon’s fingers grazing down Kieren’s arm.

As they walk to the kitchen, Simon realizes this holiday is going to be more complicated than he originally planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to leave comments or come find me on my [Tumblr.](http://angelicgays.co.vu)


	6. Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright please ignore my chapter titles I'm shit when it comes to thinking them up. And sorry this is a bit short, school's started again and I don't have too much time to write xx

They sit around the table and Steve is still a bright red, pointedly avoiding looking at the two boys.  Kieren keeps hitting Simon under the table and Jem is staring at them with a smirk on her face.

“Right, what have I missed?” Sue asks, setting down her fork.  “You’re all acting so strange, I want to know what’s happened.”

“Simon—” starts Jem, but there’s a thud and she winces, glaring at Kieren, who has taken a sudden intense interest in his toast.

“Nothing, Mrs. Walker.  Everything is just fine.”  Simon smiles across the table at her and she narrows her eyes, obviously not believing a word.  He grins widely, hoping to at least stop the questions.  It works and Sue sighs, picking her fork up again.

“I _will_ find out, you know.  I always figure this stuff out.”

Simon chokes on his tea.

\--

“This is weird.”

Kieren, Simon, and Jem are sitting together in Kieren’s room.  Simon is leaning against the bed, Kieren’s head pillowed in his lap, and Jem is sitting at the desk across the room.   At Kieren’s words, Simon stops running his fingers through the other boy’s hair.  Kieren groans at the loss and flaps his hands.  Simon smirks and resumes, tugging gently.

“What is?”

“Usually our mom is the first to figure these things out.” Jem supplies, toying with a paintbrush.  “When I was with Gary, she knew the moment I stepped in the door.”

“You had a hickey on your neck.” Kieren says, his eyes closed.  Jem tosses a balled up piece of paper at him and he grins.

“Do you think she really doesn’t know?” Simon asks, lobbing the paper back at Jem.  She catches it and tosses it back, and he deftly catches it in the hand that isn’t in Kieren’s hair.  “Maybe she doesn’t want to say anything.”

Kieren snorts.  “If there’s anything my mother wants to do when it comes to this kind of thing, it’s say something.  She always needs to have an opinion.”

“So let’s tell her.”

“Why?”

An awkward silence settles over the room and Jem stands without a word, leaving the room.  Simon pulls his hand away from Kieren’s hair, crossing his arms.  “What do you mean why?”  Kieren scrambles up, sitting in front of Simon.  “Is there something wrong with me?”

“No!  God, Simon, of course not!  It’s just…they don’t know you well, and I’m afraid of what they’re going to say.”

“C’mon, Kieren, let me know what’s wrong!  I don’t see anything about this that they wouldn’t approve of, unless it’s me.  Do they not—“

“I’m not out.”

Simon stops dead.  “What?”

“Jem is the only one who knows.  I never had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend.  I’ve just had friends, and I barely had any of those.”  He shrugs, fiddling with the edges of his sleeves.  “I want to tell them, but I just haven’t done it yet.”

“Do you think they would be upset?” Simon asks, reaching out to take one of Kieren’s hands. 

“Jem took it well, but we’ve always been close, and one of her closest friends came out to her the year before I did, so she kinda knew what to expect.”

“Kier, listen to me.”  Simon crosses his legs and scoots forward, taking Kieren’s face in his hands.  “They are not going to love you any less than they love you now.  They may be a bit confused, and that’s normal, we can expect that.  I’ll be right there beside you the whole time, and Jem will be too.  So don’t worry, okay?  We can tell them or we can leave it.  It’s up to you, and I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”

Kieren stares at Simon, mouth hanging open, before lurching forward and practically throwing himself into Simon’s lap.  He kisses Simon almost angrily, hands slipping up into his hair.  Simon lets out a surprised noise but kisses back, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.  After a moment Kieren pulls away, tucking his face against Simon’s neck. 

Simon wraps his arms around Kieren’s waist, holding him close.  “Do you want to tell them tonight, or do you want to save it?”

Kieren shrugs, his fingers sliding up and down Simon’s back.  “I think we should get it out of the way,” he says, pressing a kiss to Simon’s neck.  “Plus, the sooner we tell them, the sooner I can leave hickeys on you.”

“For _fucks_ sake!” They boys jump apart at the sound of Jem’s voice.  She’s standing in the doorway with her hands over her ears, eyes screwed shut.  “I didn’t hear yelling so I assumed it was safe!  Close the _bloody_ door next time!”  She turns and stomps out, slamming the door so hard behind her that the wall shakes, and the boys hear Sue call something from downstairs.

Kieren grins and lies down again, head back in Simon’s lap.  “Yeah, we can tell them tonight.  Mom always told me off for telling Jem to close her door and it is _so_ my turn for some payback.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who leaves me comments/kudos, it makes me so happy (:
> 
> [My tumblr](http://angelicgays.co.vu)
> 
> ALSO. I'm assuming that you all want to help get this show renewed. Check my [new sideblog](http://renewintheflesh.tumblr.com) for some more info. If you want links to petitions just let me know either through Tumblr or in the comments below.


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